‘Kaash dono ko khila paate’ – Fans react to Yuzvendra Chahal discussing Kuldeep Yadav’s selection ahead of him in ODI cricket

Yuzvendra Chahal, the leg spinner, remained unfazed and backed the team management’s decision to start Kuldeep Yadav over him in the just-completed ODI series versus the West Indies. Just two from India’s 12 ODI matches this year have included the 33-year-old.

After playing a total of just six ODIs across 2020 and 2021, Chahal returned to action in 2022, completing 14 matches and taking 21 wickets. But this year, Kuldeep has surpassed Chahal as the preferred spinner because of his outstanding performance in the 50-over format.

During the recent West Indies series, in which India won 2-1, the leg-spinner did not participate in any of the three ODI matches. Yuzvendra Chahal supported Kuldeep Yadav’s selection and acknowledged the rationale behind the team composition in a press conference prior to the second Twenty20 international match against the West Indies.

“Whenever I get the chance I will grab it.” : Yuzvendra Chahal

He said, “At 7, we generally play Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel. Three spinners can only play if the wickets are spin friendly. Kuldeep is bowling really well, he is in a great rhythm and that’s why team is backing him. I keep working on nets so that whenever I get the chance I will grab it.”

In 11 ODI games this year, Kuldeep has 22 scalps with an outstanding average of 17.18. Kuldeep Yadav as well as Yuzvendra Chahal, collectively referred to as “Kulcha,” have only played one ODI match this year—a match versus New Zealand in Indore. Just one of these two wrist spinners has been chosen for the starting XI because management is afraid of a long tail.

Yuzvendra Chahal went on to say how happy he is to represent Team India and has spent the past few years playing white-ball cricket with them. The Rajasthan Royals bowler said that “I am very happy that I am getting to wear the blue jersey every day. I am not sitting at home. I am travelling with the team. I am part of the team. I have played chess, it is an individual game but cricket is a team sport. Out of fifteen people in the squad, only eleven can play. In the past few series, when I was playing Kuldeep was not getting the chances.”

Fans react to Yuzvendra Chahal discussing Kuldeep Yadav’s selection ahead of him in ODI cricket: